Wednesday, May 07, 2008 Negrense tracksters fail to make Olympic grade By Henry Villalva
SEVERAL Negrense track and field standouts, who were part of the RP contingent who tried to secure Olympic slots in the recent Thailand track and field championships, came home disappointed after they failed to nail qualifying berths for the August 2008 Beijing Olympiad.
Joebert Delicano of Victorias City, competing in the long jump, leaped to 7.43 meters, good for the bronze, but still far from the 8.05 meters Olympic qualifying mark.
In the men's 5,000 meters Himamaylan City native and former national Milo marathon champion Julius Sermona also pocketed the bronze, but his time of 15:23.60 was way below the 13:28 required to qualify for the Beijing summer games.
Sermona, an awardee of the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines (Scoop Bacolod) during its 2007 Scoop Awards for outstanding Negros athletes, told Sun.Star Bacolod in a text message he still hopes to qualify for his event during the May 29 to 31 Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) National Open at the Rizal Memorial track oval in Manila.
Other RP hopefuls who failed were Mercedita Manipol, who took the gold in women's 5,000 but her time of 17:54.44 was nearly two minutes slower than the 15:24 standard; Southeast Asian Games champion Rene Herrera won a silver in 3,000 steeple chase but his 9:10.10 was also far from the 8:32 standard.
Others who joined the trackfest last April 24 to 30 at the Thammsat University Complex in Bangkok were SEAG champion Julius Nierras (4th in 400-meter run); Rosie Villarito (4th in javelin throw); Ernie Candelario (400 meter); Arnold Villarube (decathlon); Midel Dique (4th in 800 meters); Rodrigo Tanuan (4x400 relay and 400 meters); Elizier Sunang (5th in shot put) and Junrey Bano (8th in 400 meters).
